Financial Planning

This video would be hilarious if it weren’t so true! I just don’t understand why ALL advisors wouldn’t want to put their client’s interests first. It’s called fiduciary duty and it is one of the most important requirements when looking for a financial advisor who will give you advice.

For years, consumer groups and rival industry factions have battled — before Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commission and, of course, the press — over whether that “advice” should be required to be in the client’s best interest (the so-called fiduciary standard) or merely “suitable.” Under current rules, advisers can adhere to either one of…

Most families that start 529 college savings plans have done their “homework” about these programs. Missteps are made, though, often with the distribution of 529 plan assets. Here are some of the major gaffes, and the major factors anyone should think about before enrolling. Assuming a university will withdraw 529 plan assets for you. When…

Decades of research has given us 12 insights into not only how our brains work, but simple things we can do to become better investors, remember more, and live better. These insights are taken from the book, Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by molecular biologist Dr. John…

How expensive will college be tomorrow? The Department of Education projects that by 2030, the tuition cost of obtaining a four-year degree at a public university will surpass $200,000. Staggering? Indeed, but college is plenty expensive already. For the 2017-2018 school year, tuition averaged $25,290 a year at public colleges and $50,900 a year at…

You might be surprised how many people have financial documents scattered all over the house – on the kitchen table, underneath old newspapers, in the hall closet, in the basement. If this describes your financial “filing system”, you may have a tough time keeping tabs on your financial life. Organization will help you, your advisors…

Here’s the scenario … you get a card in the mail, one of those little reminders that tells you it’s time for your annual financial checkup. Your reaction: I’ll take care of that later. Here’s why you should look forward to it. Why do I need an annual review? Because things change, and during the…

Mortgage rates are still low. The earliest numbers from 2013 have remained lower than they were this time last year, leading a number of homeowners to consider (and re-consider) their options. On January 17, interest rates on 30-year FRMs dropped to 3.38%. This is down 0.5%  from a year ago at this time. Many have…

How would you respond to sudden financial demands? We all define “emergencies” differently, but we are not immune to them. How can we plan to stay afloat financially when they occur? Most households are not financially prepared for an emergency – not even close. A recent study from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling found…

Robert Pagliarini, an expert in wealth management, inheritance planning, financial planning, and sudden wealth™, writes a financial column for CBS News MoneyWatch that is also syndicated in newspapers across the country. The following is a column Robert wrote for CBS: How make money? How start business? How get job? No, my editor is not on…